7B ERASMUS PROGRAMME TO KALAMATA, GREECE

by Ingrid Zerlauth (form teacher 7B and project coordinator)

The Austrian-Greek Erasmus project was a unique experience in various respects: walking on ancient paths, immersing into Greek culture, bonding with Greek families and experiencing their hospitality as being the hosts of our students. Working together with the principal of a grammar school and her colleagues to plan this trip was not only a lot of preparation and work on both sides, but an enriching cultural exchange. We are looking forward to welcoming the Greek teachers and students in Villach next schoolyear and we will try our best to make it an unforgettable trip for them as well.

My heartfelt thanks to Vanessa Lessjak for accompanying us on this trip and to the Erasmus coordinator Katrin Kanatschnig.

A Travel Journal by Raunav Sharma, Trisha de Asis, and Felicia Brunner, 7B

Sunny skies, crystal clear waters, mystical ruins from thousands of years ago, and some mouthwatering gyros – this was a mere taste of our Erasmus programme to Kalamata. Through workshops, excursions, and quality time with our host families, we experienced much more than a simple class trip.

Day 1 “The Arrival”

It was a cold and gloomy morning, we assembled at the Villach train station, where we awaited the arrival of our Flixbus that was scheduled to arrive at seven. To our dismay, it showed up two hours late – and had we taken the later bus, we would have missed our flight. In an ironic twist, the “Deutsche Bahn” was the only thing on time during our departure. After a tiring flight from Munich to Kalamata, we were welcomed by our host families at the airport and settled in for a good night’s rest, optimistic for the next day.

Day 2 “First Day of School!”

The following morning, we woke up to the faint scent of sea breeze and a good hearty breakfast prepared by our lovely hosts. Afterwards, we visited the school of our host students, where we engaged in some ice-breaking activities such as exchanging cultural aspects of our respective countries. This was followed by presentations by the Greek students about their city and country, which fascinated us greatly. By lunchtime we indulged in homemade Greek food, danced with our peers, and generally got to know each other. We were surprised by how similar yet different we were. In the afternoon, we enjoyed the refreshing seaside, and we rounded off the day by visiting a famous Greek tavern.

Day 3 “Olive Oil”

The day started off bright and early, where we gathered at the school courtyard, waiting to depart for the Bläuel olive oil factory in Kardamyli. The founder, Fritz Bläuel, was a fellow Austrian, he told us his life story, motivation, and explained the production process of olive oil and table olives. We were very grateful that he took time out of his busy schedule to tour us and even answer professional and personal questions about his factory and life. This was followed by an opportunity to not only taste olive oil but also experience the flavours in a more methodical way, which reminded us of wine connoisseurs. For lunch, everyone dined together at a cliffside restaurant that provided a view of the ocean that was to die for.

Day 4 “Greek Culture”

The morning began with us exploring the farmer’s market, which reminded us of the “Naschmarkt” in Vienna. There we saw a variety of local produce and products such as handcrafted trinkets, exotic fruits and vegetables, meats and seafood, and family brewed wine. Later, we visited two museums: The Archaeological Museum of Messinia, filled with valuable treasures and artefacts from the Mycenaean Late Bronze Era, and the Karelia Museum, home to an extensive collection of Greek traditional costumes. By the time we were finished, it was noon, and we were free to explore the city. Afterwards, we participated in a traditional Greek dance workshop where we learnt seven dances, originating from various regions, all together in a big circle. Despite some people having two left feet we overall had a ton of fun and liked the challenge of trying something new.

Day 5 “City Tour”

The day started with us meeting at a castle, where the very energetic principal waited for us before starting her personal tour. Afterwards we visited a monastery as well as a church, enjoying the breathtaking architecture as well as the portraits adorning the walls and the ceiling. There the principal explained some typical orthodox catholic practices and beliefs to us and showed us the iconographic depictions of places in the church. What Felicia found especially shocking, was the fact that most Greeks kiss their icons in the Churches out of respect and in hopes their wishes are fulfilled.

Day 6 “Town Hopping”

This day was especially tiring, as the plan was to visit three separate towns as well as two historical sites. The first one was the palace of Nestor, which was near the town of Pylos. At Nestor we discovered the incredible story of it, even though most of the site was destroyed a long time ago and the only part still standing were ruins, a shadow of its former self. After that we visited Methoni castle, located near the town of Methoni, a picturesque ruin located in the ocean, albeit still close to the shore. The last stop before returning to Kalamata was Koroni, a small town opposite Methoni. There we toured another church, where we saw more traditional artwork.

Day 7 “See you soon”

All too soon, the final day of our trip to Greece had arrived. In the morning we set off for the Ekklesiasterion Theatre in Ithomi, where we watched two theatre groups perform a wonderful play about an ancient Greek legend with a modern touch. We were especially impressed and awestruck by the second group, as it consisted of Chinese theatre students, with the youngest members being eight. After the play, the principal gave us a tour of the nearby ruins and showed us a beautifully preserved ruin of an ancient Greek gymnasium.

As we prepared to fly back home to Austria, some tearful goodbyes were exchanged as we had formed a deep bond. We had quickly become good friends, so we had promised to see each other soon. We are excited for when our host students come to Austria, where we can return the favour in showing them around. The time we had was well spent and we would experience it all over again, if we could.